Washing machine



July 11, 1933- A. w. ALTORFER 1,917,628

WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l H *a INVERTER-' @fi/Viga;

July 11, 1933. A. w. ALTORFER WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1929 4 Sheets--SheerI 2 A, W. ALTORFER WASHING MACHINE July 11, 1933.

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 lNYENmRQ in 111i' July 11, 1933- A. W. ALToRFER 1,917,628

A WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1929 4 sheets-sheet 4 INVENTDF..

Patented July 11, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i ALPHEUS W. ALTORFER, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALTORFER BROS. COMPANY, OF EAST P EORIA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS WASHING MACHINE Application filed January 25, 1929. Serial No. 334,925.

This invention has reference to washing machines, and it has for its principal object to depart from the well known and standard type of machine now commonly employed for domestic use in the home, and to provide a washing machine comparatively smaller and therefore particularly well adapted for use in apartments where space is at a premium, and which is designed both m for storage in out of the way and compact spaces and the tub of the machine adapted to be raised and lowered on its support for use by persons of different heights so that stooping and reaching is avoided.

The invention has for a further object to provide such a machine with agitator operating mechanism of a very simple character, minus clutch controlled means and arranged to be controlled at the light socket of a room or by any convenient switch mechanism.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a manually operated wringer hingedly and detachably connected with the tub to be swung down and out of the way alongside the tub when not in use and adapted when swung up into normal operative position on top of the tub to have a sliding movement on the top of the tub whereby to lock it in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a manually operable means for raising and lowering the tub on its support and which is self locking, whereby the tub will be held in its dili'erent adjusted heights, the operating member for such means being interchangeably usable for operating the wringer rolls.

The invention has for a still further ob- 40 ject to support the tub on two oppositely positioned supports or standards and on which the tub is capable of being vertically raised and lowered, and tothe structure between the bottom of the tub and said rais-- ing and lowering means.

Further objects will more fully appear from the following description.

That the invention ma be more fully understood, reference is ha to the accompanying drawings forming part of this descrip- `machine tion, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:-

Fig. l is an elevation looking at one side of the machine, a part being broken away and the tub being shown in full lines in raised or elevated position and in dotted lines in its lowermost position, the wringer being also shown by dotted lines in a down and out of the way position;

Fig. 2 is an'elevation looking in at the 60 right hand side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section and partly broken away, looking upwardly and as the same would appear if taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an .enlarged top plan view of the machine, the dotted lines showing the transmission casing and motor below the tub;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View through the tub, agitator and associated parts and the wringer, as the same would appear if taken on the line 5--5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view of certain of the parts included in the tub raising and lowering means;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional detail in perspective showing parts included in the wringer supporting and hinge mechanism;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail in perspective showing a part of the wringer S0 structure arranged for hinge attachment to parts seen in Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 isa perspective view of a washing embodying my invention, the wringer being shown in dotted lines.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the figures.

In the drawings 1, 1 designateoppositely positioned vertically disposed supports or standards which are connected at their lower ends with comparatively long transversely disposed base or foot members 2 provided at their opposite end portions with caster-wheels 3 that the machine may be easily wheeled from one point to another. Said base or foot members are connected and braced by means of reach members 4, 4. One of said reach or brace members 4, see dotted lines in Fig. 4 and full lines Fig. 9, is arched or curved inwardly, as at 4', for the placement of a pail edge portions of the respective supports orA standards are cut away or slotted for a predetermined length, as at 5, into which project the teeth of a rack-bar 6, the latter seated within and secured to the supports or standards l, 1 with the faces of the teeth fiush with the faces of saidsupports or standards, as seen in Figs. 3, 6 and 9.

The tub is desi nated 7, preferably square in cross-section, t e sides thereof merging into a bottom portion 8 with easily curved bottom and side portions 9, see Fig. 5. Said bottom portion is provided with an axial opening 10 therethrough through which projects an upstanding tubular gland 11. This gland projects up into the tub to a point above the normal Water level in the tub and at its upper end has a reduced throat portion 12 providing a bearing for a vertically disposed agitator operating shaft 13 passing up through the bottom of the tub and said gland has a portion extending down through the opening 10 in the tub bottom, externally threaded at its lower end to receive a nut 14. A iiange 15 on the gland overlies the tub bottom and between said flange and tub bottom is placed a suitable gasket 16 to provide a water seal around the opening 10. Immediately above the flange 15, the gland is provided with a shouldered portion 17 to provide a bearing for the internally arranged' and depending hub 18 of the agitator member 19 and between said hub and shouldered portion a bushing 20 is placed. The bottom 8 of the tub is provided with an annular depressed groove 21, the wall forming which provides a depending annular shoulder 22, and the bottom 8, at a suitable point within said annular groove is provided with an opening 23 communicating with a drain-cock 24, see Figs. 5 and 9.

To opposite side walls of the tub 7 are secured the vertically disposed fianged and U shaped frames 25 which project av short distance below the bottom of the tub. These frames, when the supports or standards 1, 1 are 1n assembled relation, are positioned so that said supports or standards project up into said framesand have a telescopic arrangement therewith, and said supports or standards and said frames are so fitted together. that an easy sliding relation may be maintained therebetween so that there is no looseness or rattling when movement is had, one on the other. The upper ends of the flanges of the frames 25 are secured at 26 to the' tub and one of said securements 26, for one of said frames and a securement 27 hold a bearing member 28 for the upper end of a vertically disposedmanually operated shaft 29 which is provided at its upper end with a shouldered and squared portion 30 adapted to receive the socketed end of a hand crank 31, shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The lower ends of the iianges of the frames 25, which are below the bottom of the tub are secured at 32 to an inverted pan or apron 33 disposed below the tub bottom and which has a cross-sectional outline corresponding to but slightly larger than the cross-section of the tub, see Fig. 5, whereby to receive and direct any drippings down the outside of the tub and providing a surrounding casing for the gear housing and other parts, to be described, lolcated below the tub. The securements 32 be- .tween the frames 25 and the pan or apron 33 firmly secure said pan o'r apron in place below the tub. On one side of the tub and corresponding to that side on which the shaft 29 is located, there is provided, coincident with the pan or apron 33, a housing 34 and this housing is secured in place on a frame 25 and to the pan or apron 33 by means of the securements 32 and additional securements 35, see Figs. 1 and 6. Said housing encloses and provides a bearing for a cross-shaft 36 and a worm wheel 37 thereon which has a meshing relation with the teeth of the rack-bar 6 attached to the support or standard at, this side of the machine, and also journaled in lthis housing is the lower end of the shaft 29 which has secured thereto, within said housing, a worm 38 meshing with the worm wheel 37. Said shaft 36 crosses and lies beneath the tub and passes through opposite walls of the paii or apron 33and has a journal bearing in the opposite flanged frame 25 which is of a width to receive the same'and also a worm wheel 37, corresponding to the worm wheel 37 on the opposite end of said cross shaft and which meshes with the teeth of the rack-bar 6 on this side of the machine. A perfect balance is maintained between the oppositely located worm-wheels 37 on the cross-shaft 36, whereby, when the crank 31 is attached to the shaft 29 and the same is rotated, movement is imparted through said shaft to the worm 38 and through said worm to a worm wheel 37 and through the crossshaft 36 and said worm wheels 37 to the respective rack-bars 6 and thereby result in lowering or raising of the tub 7 on the supports or standards 1. The lowering of the tub on its supports, not only reduces, the height of the machine to accommodate it to compact places and spaces so as to be out of the way but provides for positioning the height of the Vtub to accommodate it to persons of different heights. Furthermore, the use of worm gearing for raising and lowering the tub on its supports provides the necessary power to enable the attendant to raise and lower the tub withease, whether loadedV or nOt and also provides a self locking means ICS for holding the tub at different elevated positions.

Referring again to the pan or apron 33, it will be seen on examining Fig. 5 that it is seated and held firmly against the bottom of the tub by forming or providing the head wall 39 of said pan or apron with a shouldered portion 40 so that it is seated within the annular oit-set 22 on the bottom of the tub and said head wall has a. central opening corresponding to the opening 10 in the tub bottom, to receive the depending end of the gland 11 which passes therethrough. Below and partially within the pan or apron 33 is located a gear housing 41'comprising separable sections, see Figs. 3 and 5. The upper of these sections is formed or provided with a bracket extension 42 which is concentric with the axis of the gland 11 and when the parts are assembled this bracket extension is slipped over and held on the lower end portion of the gland 11 and said bracket extension 42 and the head wall 39 of the pan or apron 33 are secured and held in assembled relation and the gland firmly held, by means of the nut 14 screwed onto the threaded end of said gland. In addition, securements 43 are provided, see Fig. 3, for attaching or securing the gear housing to the pan or apron 33. The agitator shaft 13 extends through and below the lower end of the gland 11 and through the sections of the housing 41 and has a journal bearing in said sections, see Fig. 5'. Said shaft has secured thereto and rotating within the housing 41, a gear pinion 44 and operatively connected with said pinion and also operatively carried within said housing is an oscillatory toothed segment 45, in. mesh with said pimon and connected to said segment is a reciprocal pitmanba'r 46, which also has connection with a worm wheel 47 meshing with a worm 48 on a shaft 49 Ahaving a flexible connection with an electric motor 50 supported below the pan or apron 33. The foregoing described mechanism, including motor for operating the agitator shaft 13 has the unusual characteristicrof being minus the usual clutch control and intended to be controlled at the switch socket in a room or suitable switch on the machine, although not shown. Simplicity marks this comparatively small washing machine, adapted especially for use in small apartments and manufactured to sell at a very reasonable price. The agitator is power driven, as shown and described, but the wringer, to be described, is arranged for hand operation, as will be explained, and the crank 31 which is used to raise and lower the tub on its support is also usable for operating the wringer.

Referring to the agitator 19, it comprises the disk-like member, the periphery of which is turned downwardly and ,rotatable within the groove 21 in the bottom of the tub and as so constructed and assembled with the tub bottom will prevent materials getting under the edge of the agitator body. The agitator body is further provided with the plurality of upstanding radially arranged ballies or vanes 5l functioning similarly to similar devices now in use. Connected to` and extending upwardly from the hub 18 of the a itator is a sleeve 52, which, together4 with t e hub of the agitator are adapted for telescopic relation with the gland 11 and when in operative position appear as shown in Fig. 5, where the upper end of said sleeve 52, which has a squared opening 53 therein has a slip on and off clutch connection with a similarly shaped end 54 on the protruding upper end of the clutch operating shaft 13.

The wringer is referred to generally as 55 and includes the frame 56 and wringer rolls v 57 and 58, the latter having a shaft projecting through the frame and its end provided with a squared portion 59 to permit the attachwhen it is desired to employ the wrin er. e

wringer is attachable to and remova le from the tub and provision is made to hingedly connect the wringer to the tub, so that it may be swung to a down and out of the way position and when in operative position locked in such position. To accomplish these purposes there are provided on one side of the tub and adjacent its upper edge, pairs of spaced ears 60, 60, each pair of ears having a pintle connection 61. On top of the tub in the rear of and spaced from one of said ears 60 of each pair are located wedge shaped lugs 62, see Figs. 4 and 7 The wringer frame 56 on its front side and at opposite ends is provided with the hooks 63, see Figs. 5 and 8 and said frame on its rear side and at opposite ends is provided with wedge shaped grooves 64 corresponding and complementary to the wedge shaped lugs 62, see Figs. 5 and 8. To attach the wringer, itis held in an inverted vertical position to permit slipping the hooks 63 over the pintles 61, when it may be swung up into a vertical position onto the top of the tub and when so positioned may be slid on the tub to permit the wedge grooves 64 to slide over the lugs 62 and the wringer frame thereby become locked in position on the top of the tub. The pintles 61 are sufiiciently long to permit this manner of assembly. To release the wringer it is slid in a reverse direction so as to be free of the lugs 62, when the wringer may be swung outwardly and downwardly alongside'the side of the tub, as is best seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1. It is to be noted that the securements 26, 27, 32 and 35 for the frames 25 on the tub are leakage is entirely obviated. For instance, the securements 26 and 27 are well above the normal water level in the tub and the securements 32 to the inverted pan or apron 33, likewise the securements 35, are well below the bottom of the tub.

What I claim is 1. In a washing machine, inv combination, tub supports comprising a pair of oppositely positioned vertical standards each embodying elements of tub raising and lowering means, a tub positioned between and supported on said standards and having vertical movement in relation thereto, means connected to opposite sides of the tub and embracing and providing guides for said standards substantially throughout the height of the tub, operating elements within said guides in operative connection with the elements on said standards, and means to actuate said operating elements.

2. In a washing machine, in combination, tub supports comprising a pair of oppositely positioned' vertical standards each embodying a rack-bar extending throughout the greater portion of the length thereof, a tub positioned between and supported on said standards and having vertical movement in relation thereto, means connected to opposite sides of the tub and embracing and providing guldes for said standards substantially throughout the height of the tub, an operating pinion housed within each guide and in mesh with a rack-bar, a shaft connecting said 35 pinions, and means to actuate said shaft whereby to raise and lower the tub on said supporting standards.

3. In awashing machine, in combination, a supportino means, a tub, an apron element depending beneath the tub, guiding means secured the tub and complementary to the supporting means whereby the tub may be raised and lowered on said supporting means, said guiding means having securements on the tub near the upper edge thereof and to 2h?) apron element below the bottom of the u 4. Iny a washing machine, in combination, a supportlng means, a tub, an apron element J0 dependingv beneath the tub, guiding means secured .to the tub and complementary to the supportlng means whereby the tub may be ralsed and lowered on said supporting means, said gulding means having securements on the tub near the upper edge thereof and to the apron element below the bottom of the tub, and means operable from the top of the tub for raising and lowering the tub on the supporting means. 5. In a washing machine, in combination,

a tub substantially rectangular in cross-section, supporting means for the tub comprising a pair of standards, one each positioned on opposite sides of the tub and disposed adjacent thereto and with respect to which the tub may have up and down movement, guiding means for the standards secured to move with the tub and adapted to embrace the standards throughout the length ofthe guides, base portions for said standards providing fioor rests for the standards and tub and operable means carried by the tub for raising and lowering said tub on said standards.

6. In a washing machine, in combination, a pair of supporting means, a tub disposed between said supporting means and adapted to have vertical movement in relation thereto, an apron of the contour of the tub secured to and depending from beneath the tub, guiding means for said supporting means, said guiding means having securements on the tub near the upper edge thereof and to said apron below the bottom of the tub, and means to raise and lower the tub including elements carried by said supporting means.

7. In a washing machine, in combination, a tub, a pair of vertical supports, one each on opposite sides of .the tub, ides connected with opposite sides of t e tub and adapted to embrace said supports throughout the height of the tub, a raising and lowering means for the tub comprising elements on each support and coacting elements located on corresponding) sides of the tub, an operating connection etween said coacting elements and extending crosswise of and below the tub, and an operating means for imparting actuation to said coacting element.

8. In a washing machine, in combination, a tub, a pair of vertical supports, one each on opposite sides of the tub, guides connected with opposite sides of the tub and adapted to embrace said supports throughout the height of the tub, a raising and lowering means for the tub comprising toothed segments on each of said supports and a gear wheel in mesh with each segment, a connect.- ing shaft between said gear wheels and disposed crosswise beneath said tub, a vertical operating shaft on one side of said tub, a gear wheel on said operating shaft'in mesh with one of said aforementioned gear wheels, and an operative connection on the upper end of said operating shaft.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aiiiXed my hand this 21st day of January, 1929.

ALPHEUS W. ALTORFER. 

